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OPINION

Support vacation rentals

For families like mine who prefer to spend our weekends and vacations outdoors, Texas offers much to appreciate. The idea of days spent out on Lake Nasworthy is what drove us to look for a home here in the first place.

We bought a home that had been sitting vacant for three years, remodeled it, and when we're not there, we rent it out on a short-term basis. When we set out to do this, we didn't anticipate local officials would soon try to place burdensome rules on our rentals or effectively ban them altogether. We simply wanted to allow visitors from across Texas and the country to come enjoy long weekends in the natural San Angelo beauty that first attracted us.

Recently, vacation rentals have come under scrutiny as some Texas cities have severely restricted homeowners' rights to rent their properties. As a resident of San Angelo, I see vacation rentals not as hindrances but as positive additions that provide economic benefits to our businesses and homeowners.

State Sen. Kelly Hancock agrees with me on this, and has proposed legislation to protect Texas vacation rentals from onerous regulations. Hancock's bill, SB 451, will protect Texans who rent out their home by preventing municipalities from banning the activity, while allowing them to regulate issues relating to nuisance, health and safety.

For years, my family's vacation rental has given us an opportunity to contribute to the neighborhood while also providing supplemental income that helps us make ends meet. We're proud to be active members of our vacation rental community and want to see this important industry preserved. We've seen what can happen when local governments meddle in this issue; it's time for leaders in our state legislature to stand with Texans' property rights and support SB 451.

— Debbie Powell, San Angelo

Read or Share this story: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/opinion/readers/2017/04/14/support-vacation-rentals/100395358/